The kirana goes online

Remember the times we stood in queues to withdraw money from the bank? Now we have ATMs to make life easy. Remember how we had to walk to a physical counter to pay our utilities bills? Now, we can do it online.

Technology has indeed been making life easier and convenient for the customer. And if the kirana stores and small retail joints in India’s cities can use technology to an advantage, they can give the big retailers, even foreign brands, a run for their money.

Consider some simple things a small retailer can do.

• Online ordering. Taking orders online gives customers greater convenience to order at their own pace and time. It doesn’t need a fancy order form. Even a simple mail id to send a list of gorceries to, should help. Get the delivery details – time and address – and create a systematic delivery cycle.

Benefit. Customers get another convenient channel to place their orders. The retailer gets to cut down inventory and save costs.

• Discounts and deals. Big retailers offer customers the advantage of deals and discounts. The smaller retailer can offer similar discounts to regular customers and spread the word online. Again, this doesn’t have to be a fancy mailer. Just a mail stating the product and offer details will do.

Benefit. The kirana store has its own discount-formula to keep customers happy, as the Indian customer does look for deals.

• Online payment. Many small retailers even today don’t offer credit and debit card facilities. Compare this with the payment options the smart retail giants do. Cash on delivery, again a great way of narrowing this gap.

Benefit. The small retailer stays in-sync with the latest transaction trend and can offer some of the conveniences the bigger players do.

Embracing technology will empower the small retailers to compete better with the bigger giants. They’ll also help them connect better with today’s gen-y tech-savvy shoppers, who’ll be the customers of tomorrow.

And if investments in technology sound like an obstacle, cloud based-solutions are the answer. With a combination of some technology adoption, smart but simple online marketing, and efficient and friendly customer service, Indian retailers will be ready, even if FDI in retail does become a reality.